MARTIN Taylor has insisted the latest instalment in the Eduardo saga would not throw him off stride.

The centre-half said that he would not lose any focus on the task in hand at Blues.

Taylor has been besieged by the media this week after the Arsenal striker made his return to action after almost a year out with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

Taylor’s tackle in the 2-2 St Andrew’s draw between the sides last season put the Croatian out of the game.

Taylor – who visited Eduardo in hospital and has kept in touch with him via Arsenal liaison officer Paul Irwin, as the Gunners requested – said he was not affected by the new furore.

“No I don’t think that all this will cause me a problem,” he said. “I will go into the game at Coventry City on Saturday in the same frame of mind I would have had the events of this week not occurred.

“For me, it’s a positive week. It’s the culmination of Eduardo’s work to get back into it. It could have been sadder, if he had broken down.”

Eduardo, inexplicably, has been peddling the line that Taylor has not been in touch or apologised.

Taylor doesn’t need to say sorry – he went for the ball, not the man – and has taken a genuine interest in Eduardo’s welfare.

He visited him in hospital immediately after the game, and the next day.

And Taylor said he would be prepared to meet Eduardo face-to-face. “I would never say never,” Taylor commented.

“I have gone through the channel that was set up at the time and I’ve said that I’d like to meet him, and they said that they would pass these messages on.

“Nothing has come of it. It’s completely up to him.

“For me, just to turn up or anything like that would just be invading his privacy. He may not want that. You don’t want to push it.”

As for Eduardo’s assertions this week, Taylor said: “It’s strange again seeing that sort of thing in the paper. It’s difficult for your family and friends.”